Uefa snub Mourinho plea to have game called off

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho’s plea to have their Europa League clash at Rostov called off due to the state of the pitch fell on deaf ears, with UEFA confirming it will go ahead as planned despite the surface not being in “perfect condition”.

Having described the last16 tie as a “bad draw in every aspect,” the United manager’s feelings only worsened upon inspection of the Olimp-2 stadium surface ahead of the first leg.

Mourinho compared the pitch to the Bird’s Nest quagmire that saw United’s money-spinning pre-season friendly against Manchester City in Beijing called off last summer.

But United will have to play on the sandy, loose surface as UEFA have confirmed the last-16 first leg will go ahead as planned.

A statement from European football’s governing body said: “A pitch inspection has been carried out by the match officials on Wednesday.

“The playing surface may not be in perfect condition, but has been deemed playable. The match will go ahead as scheduled.”

At a pre-match press conference, Mourinho was visibly angered by having to play on the surface.

“It’s still hard for me to believe that we are going to play there.

“I know that we have to, but it is hard for me to believe that we are going to play on that field – if you can call it a field.”